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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · track · wave · perch · mate · mark · mine · spell

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mark — a trace
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. spell — letters
  10. track — a path
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. track — a song
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com